Arizona Health & Living Magazine Profiles Pioneer Title Agency's West Phoenix Branches

There is something to be said for a mom-and-pop business to not only stay in the family for nearly 30 years, but to grow into one of the most successful businesses in Arizona even through the worst of economic times. The family, in this case, is the Newlons. The business is Pioneer Title Agency. In the 1960s and 1970s, Keith Newlon’s father, Bob, found success working in the title business. Eager to follow in his father’s footsteps, young Keith Newlon got himself a similar job with a title company after graduating from Northern Arizona University, where he successfully competed on the wrestling team, in 1979. A quick learner, by 1985 Keith was ready to spread his wings, and with the help of his parents, he and his wife Cindy founded Pioneer Title Agency with the basic mission of providing exceptional service to Arizona’s smaller communities or secondary markets throughout the West Valley and beyond. Today, the company is still 75 percent solely focused on these smaller cities and towns, but it has grown from just Keith and a handful of employees into a more than 350-member team with offices in almost every county in Arizona! “Pioneer is a financially strong and diverse company,” says owner Keith Newlon. “We are able to handle all types of real estate transactions, ranging from the smallest secondary loans to the transfer of large sophisticated commercial properties.” Unlike the large national title insurance corporations, Pioneer is an independent title insurance agency – meaning its earnings not only stay in Arizona, but support the state and local communities it serves, including the West Valley. “We are here to ensure the rights of your property are clear, and the transfer of title is completed in a timely fashion, with the upmost professionalism,” says Newlon. “If you are a first-time home buyer, a seller, real estate professional or lender, we can provide information and services to facilitate the closing of the transaction. You will have peace of mind knowing your investment is protected.” Newlon and his team, including West Valley branch managers Lisa Bonner, Melissa Tarazon and Peggy Coppinger as well as West Valley area sales managers Paul Jordan, Lesa Connell and Karen Greenhow, focus on offering custom and hyper-local services to their customers, including:

•  Title insurances, both for owners and lenders
• Homeowner’s policies
• Trustee’s sale guarantees
• Judicial guarantee reports
• Escrow services
• Developer services
• Land acquisition title research and insurance
• Construction loan title services
• Subdivision trusts
• Foreclosure services
• Post-foreclosure title policies
• Account services

The secret to their success? “Guessing right about people and supporting them no matter what,” says Newlon. “When you hire good people, train them accordingly and support them every step of the way, success will follow.” And it shows. In fact, almost half of the team that started with him back in the 1980s are still members of Pioneer Title today. “We’ve been able to be a big part of our people’s journeys from entry-level jobs that – through mentoring – turned into leadership positions,” says Newlon. “Having them find success on their own path is so much better than being a big Wall Street company focused on quarterly earnings reports and investors.” Newlon believes not only in investing in his people, but empowering them to invest into their communities as well. In fact, in the West Valley alone, Pioneer Title has been participants in the Susan G. Komen half marathon to raise funds for breast cancer research as well as in the PF Chang’s half marathon. During the holidays, they focus on supporting Agua Fri Food Bank, Hope’s Closet and Maggie’s Place, and the AmFam, for which they even do a toy drive. To view this article in the magazine, please click here.